All is Fair in Love and War
by Carissa51106
Summary: Cloud, you can say, is quite "angsty". He's 18 and all alone in the world, until a odd string of random events leads him to meeting 4 men, all of whom are at war. The prize? Cloud's heart. How will Cloud decide which man to love? Yaoi
1. Prologue

Ok. So here it goes. I decided to put up another story that I've recently started working on. I've fallen in love with FFVII yaoi fanfics... So I decided to write one. However, I couldn't decide on who I wanted to pair with who. So we have Cloud and 4 other of your favourite FFVII men!So I really hope this goes ok. I'm a little worried about this story, I'm not so surehow good this will turn out.

Yep. I don't own them. The characters.

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**Prologue  
My Back Story**

My name is Cloud Strife. You may have heard of me, if we went to high school together, or if you heard that story on the news about that high school student who attempted suicide, but other than that, this would be our first meeting.

I want to tell you a little about myself. I was born to a family who didn't love me, who didn't even want me, but they raised me anyway. From the time I learned how to crawl around on the floor, I was abused by my parents, mentally and physically. I have the scars to prove it. When I was younger I used to wonder if all parents treated their children this way. I had no friends to ask about it, but going to school I realized that I was the only kid who showed up with cuts and bruises all over his body because he was in a "car accident" or was playing a sport and "fell" and any other excuse I was told to tell. I suffered through constant beatings and being constantly put down until I was sixteen years old.

It was two years ago now when I had decided that I wasn't going to continue living with these parents of mine who didn't love or care about me. I decided to take my own life. I slit my wrist, but I only enjoyed the pain. I tried popping pills, but I never took enough. I even tried to hang myself but the rope wasn't strong enough and snapped. Finally, I decided shooting myself would get the job done. My father had a small handgun in a drawer in the kitchen. I took it one day and shot myself in the chest. Stupid me missed all vital organs. I still think I should have shot myself in the head.

It was after that when people began to realize what my parents had really been doing me. They questioned me in the hospital. Why I was covered in so many bruises, cuts, scars, and now a bullet wound. I told them the truth. "I was sick of being treated like shit," were my exact words. I told them everything. All about how I had spent my entire life being beaten and abused by my parents.

Now, I don't know anything about the judicial system, but my parents are now spending the rest of their lives in prison. After that a bunch of weird legal stuff happened, a lot of it I still don't really understand. I was sixteen, and I'd never really payed attention in Government class.

Long story short; I ended up with all of their possessions. Their house (a small trailer in a white trash trailer park), their car (a beat up old Chevy pick up truck), and everything else left in the house. I lived there on my own. I went to school and I got a job. I got by just fine. I graduated high school. I may not have been the top of my class, but I graduated. About a month ago, actually.

So yes, someone with no family and no friends can get a long just fine. I'm just proof that you don't need anybody.

And nobody needs you.


	2. Chapter 1

Here's chapter 1. Hope you enjoy it at least a little bit!!

Yep. I don't own the characters.

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**Chapter One**  
**It was raining that night... **

I left work early because I was exhausted. Working at a fast food restaurant was never my idea of a good job, but right now, it was all I could get. I work seven-hour days, five days a week. But at $7.50 an hour, I'm not complaining. I only make about $265 each week, but it's money. I'm satisfied.

It was pouring down rain when I was driving home at 8:30 in the evening. I noticed this guy standing on the side of the road. He was tall with a muscular build and long, jet-black hair that spiked out in the back. Wearing dark blue jeans and no shirt, I wondered what he was doing. I pulled over and stepped out of my car. I looked over at him and noticed he was staring at me. I got a good glimpse of his eyes, and I saw how beautiful they were. I realized that this was a very good-looking guy.

"Do you uh...Do you need a ride?" I asked him.

He stared at me for a few moments and I couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Then he smiled.

"If you've got the time. I live kind of far from here," the man replied walking towards my truck.

"Well, how far?" I asked glancing at the clock in my car.

"About an hour," the man replied, "If it's too far away, it's all good. I'll just keep walking."

"No," I replied quickly, getting an odd stare and a raised eyebrow from the man, "I mean, I don't want to leave you out here in the rain. How about you stay at my place for the night and you can go home tomorrow?"

The man stared blankly at my for a moment then smiled, "That sounds good," he said, "I'd appreciate that."

I motioned for him to climb in the passenger side door and he did as I climbed into the driver's side. I shifted into drive and pulled back out onto the road.

"What's you name?" I asked after I was back on the road.

"Zack," he replied, "And what name should I call my rescuer?" he asked, sarcasm in his voice, "My knight in a red Chevy?"

I chuckled. Well, maybe it was more of a laugh. "Cloud," I replied, "My name is Cloud."

As we were driving to my house, I could already tell this Zack was a pretty cool guy. He was pretty funny. The last time I had actually laughed, it was because my parents were sentenced to life behind bars. Zack told jokes and made sarcastic comments and he made me laugh. It was refreshing.

"So why were you stranded on the road back there?" I finally asked.

"I walked out here," Zack replied, "I decided this afternoon that I wanted to go for a walk, so I did. Then I got distracted and didn't pay attention then before I knew it I was really far away from my house." Zack laughed at himself, "I wasn't sure what I was going to do and I was really tired, but I started walking back anyway. Then you showed up."

"Well, I'll find a way to get you back home tomorrow. Until then, we'll go to my house and get something to eat."

Zack nodded at me and smiled.

I walked up to my front door with Zack behind me, "It's not much," I said, "But it's home."

"Well, I wouldn't try and fit a whole family in here," Zack said, "How many people live here with you?"

"It;s just me," I replied setting my stuff down on the kitchen table.

Zack smiled in my direction, "How old are you, Cloud? About twenty, I guess?"

"I'm eighteen, actually," I replied walking to the refrigerator, "You want something to drink?"

Zack nodded, "Wow. You're only eighteen and you already own your own house and car. Not many teenagers are lucky enough to afford that. And you're already living on your own. You must have just moved in here recently."

"I've been here all my life," I said tossing a soda towards Zack, "I've been alone for two years."

"Really? All by yourself?" Zack asked.

"All by myself."

"What about your parents?"

"They're not here."

"Where are they?"

I sat down at a chair by the kitchen table and popped open my soda can, "You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm a very inquisitive person," Zack replied smirking.

I starred at Zack for a few moments then took a drink of my soda, "They're in prison."

"Oh," Zack said sitting down in a chair across from me. I watched his smirk quickly disappear off of his face, "Sounds like a sore subject for you. Sorry I brought it up."

"No," I replied quietly, "Don't worry about it. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't stop to think about it."

I looked up at Zack. That sad look I saw in his eyes almost didn't look normal. I had just met this guy, and I could already tell he was generally happy and that sadness wasn't for him. He didn't look natural with sadness in his eyes.

I smiled at him. "But that's nothing you need to worry about."

Zack smiled back, but I could still see that bit of sadness in his eyes. "Cloud, do you mind if I use your shower? I feel kind of gross being covered in this nasty rain water."

"Sure," I replied, "I'll show you wear it's at."

I walked him through the living room and down the hall to the bathroom. I handed him a towel and some dry clothes to wear and showed him how to work the shower. Then I went back and lay down on the couch and closed, listening to the sounds of the water running. At that point I was thinking entirely about Zack. He seemed like a nice guy, I thought to myself rolling over onto my side. It was nice to have his company. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

But then I started thinking, who am I kidding? He'll probably just be a total jerk like everyone else and he'll eventually turn his back on me or hurt me, or something. Either way, I'm going to get hurt. I can't trust him at all.

But I wanted so badly to trust him. The look in those eyes when we first made eye contact called out to me. Telling me that this was a guy who I could trust. Someone I could be a friend with. I wanted to let Zack become a part of my life.

You're just desperate for some attention, I told myself. You don't deserve to have anyone in this world that cares about you. No one would even want to care about you, so why should you go chasing down random people you meet on the street?

At this point, I was in the middle of a mental war raging inside my head. I was going back and forth on weather or not I should put a little bit of trust in Zack. My head told me not to, but my heart...

I didn't even notice when Zack walked back in the room. He was wearing a pair of my black sweat pants, no shit, and he held his towel against his hair, occasionally shaking it to get the water out. He stepped up next to the couch and looked down at me, small drops of water dripping from his hair to my face.

"Hey, Cloud, you still awake?" he asked, his voice optimistic again.

My eyes shot open and I sat up. "Yeah, sorry. Must have been dozing off."

"It's all right," Zack said, "I was just kind of wondering where I was going to sleep. I don't want to take your bed, and you've got the couch."

I smiled, "There's another bedroom in the back. You can sleep there."

"Thanks," he replied, "For everything."

I put Zack's clothes in the wash and cooked up some macaroni and cheese with tuna for us to eat. I carried the bowls into the living where Zack was sitting on the couch watching TV. He smiled and took the bowl from me, thanking me of course, and then looking down at it with a puzzled expression.

"I don"t think I've ever seen anyone cook mac and cheese with tuna," he said, "Where'd you get this idea?"

"I had a babysitter once when I was really young," I replied, "When my parents would work late, she'd cook me dinner, and I always asked for her macaroni and cheese because she put the tuna in it. I love this stuff. It's amazing. Plus, it's one of my favorite memories from when I was a kid."

Zack smiled and took a bite. "You're right," he said, "This is amazing!"

I smiled back and sat down next to him. We both sat in silence watching TV and eating our macaroni.

At this point, I decided that I was going to trust Zack. Even if it only was a little bit.

"Hey, Cloud, can I ask you something?" Zack asked.

"Shoot," I replied finishing up my macaroni.

"If you don't mind me asking," Zack began quietly, almost as if he wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say next, "I'm just curious, but why exactly are your parents in prison?"

I starred at him for a minute, and I suppose I was shocked. I think the expression on my face must have freaked him out because he apologized quickly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," he said quickly, "I mean..I was just..."

I quickly got a hold of myself, "No," I said standing up, "Don't be sorry. If...if you want to know, I'll tell you.'

I reached behind my head and grabbed onto the collar of my t-shirt, pulling it over my head and off of my body. I turned to face Zack and watched and his eyes traveled down my chest and my stomach. He was spotting every single scar I had there. There was so many of them, but Zack noticed all of them.

He stood up and reached out, running his fingers down a scar that went from underneath my collarbone on the left side of my chest down to the center of my chest. A memory of when I was 12 and I ate the last piece of pizza...

"Cloud, did they...did your parents do all of this to you?" he asked quietly.

I nodded. Zack circled around me, looking at all of the scars on my back, and my arms, my neck. Everywhere.

"Cloud...I...I don't know what to say," Zack said.

"You don't have to say anything," I said, pulling my shirt back on over my head, "I'm used to this."

I turned to face Zack, but when I looked at him his eyes were filled with so much sadness. I thought he might cry.

"Zack..." I whispered, "I'm..."

Before I could finish that sentence, Zack was wrapping his arms around me.

"I just want you to know," he began. "that I don't even know you, but it means a lot to me that you trusted me to tell me this."

And just like that, I had told my sob story to a man who I met only three hours ago...

I was pathetic...

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And there is Chapter 1!!! R&R, without totally killing me, please. Reviews makes me want to write more! )

Oh and the baby sitter thing. Yep. Real life story. My parents never really worked late, but sometimes they had to so my baby sitter would make dinner for me and my sister. I loved when she mad mac and cheese because she put tuna in it. It was really really good and I haven't had it in years. I miss it.


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